Mayor Joe Curtatone uses his emergency powers to give Partners Healthcare a site where it can sterilize 80,000 medical masks a day.

Free Grab & Go Meals available at 1,200 sites statewide for 18 and under

As Massachusetts grapples with the shuttering of public buildings, schools, and businesses due to coronavirus, the one in 11 households and 1 in 9 children experiencing food insecurity before this crisis can depend on uninterrupted access to a critical child nutrition resource: school meals. Project Bread, in partnership with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, is leveraging decades of experience with federal nutrition programs and school meals in particular, to support community partners and school districts operationalizing grab & go meals at more than 1,295 alternative meal sites throughout the state.

Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services committed to helping the people we serve throughout this emergency, and we are taking steps to safeguard the health and well-being of our clients and staff.

The agency is working with state and local stakeholders to balance delivery of essential services with precautions that reduce exposure.  As a result of those discussions, SCES is taking the following measures:

Dear Community Members,

Today, Mayor Curtatone has a message specifically for seniors, which you will find further below. Our additional COVID-19 update for April 4 precedes it.

Latest News:
Case counts: As of 10 a.m. today, April 4, a total of 110 Somerville residents have tested positive for COVID-19, 32 have since recovered, and sadly one person has passed away.

Friday’s  decision, which embraces what we have been doing in Middlesex County since this crisis began, calls for a collaborative and individualized approach that utilizes law enforcement expertise and the medical information surrounding this pandemic to strike a balance between public safety and the risk to the individual being held.

The doors may be closed, but the virtual parking office is open. You can renew or apply for a new resident parking permit online at somervillema.gov/parking. New residents should ensure their vehicle is registered and insured in Somerville, and that you have proof of residence (like a utility bill or bank statement).

You can make your garden bird-friendly by following a few simple steps. — Photo © mirceax / iStock via Getty Images Plus

You may not think about it often, but wild birds use your lawn as a rest stop and place to call home. As you spruce up your lawn and garden for the season, there are simple steps you can take to protect them and help them thrive.

According to Spencer Schock, founder of WindowAlert, makers of bird-friendly products for homes, the following changes are easy to implement in order to create a safe harbor for wild birds:

— Photo by Doug Holder

Somerville will be limiting the number of in-store shoppers to no more than 107. Those waiting to enter the store will form a socially-distanced line outside the building.

The School St. bridge closure currently in effect will be extended through at least April 12 to advance Green Line Extension (GLX) construction. Extending the current closure during this period of minimal traffic is intended to accelerate productivity and minimize the cumulative impact of the bridge closure on the community. The School St. pedestrian bridge between Medford St. and Highland Ave. will remain open for pedestrians and cyclists.

Seasonal joint discomfort is a problem for many, but these tips can help ease the pain. — Photo © nensuria / iStock via Getty Images Plus

Do April showers bring May flowers or just a lot of aches and pains? While research on how weather affects a person’s pain levels is inconclusive, many people swear that the pain in their joints or ache “in their bones” can predict rainy or chilly weather ahead. The general theory is that this is caused by changes in temperature and barometric pressure.